Gilded Memories
by Misaki Viola
Summary: What if Tifa and Aries had more of a heart to heart when the group stayed at the Golden Saucer? A different look to both women's relationship. Warning: Character death mentioned.


Authors note

This story started floating around in my head during a night of struggling to get to sleep. I have been trying to work out how to word the story and I'm happy to say that this is the end result. I wanted to try my hand at something between our two main Final Fantasy 7 ladies and I hope that I've been able to capture a more intimate idea for them.

The characters and franchise belong to Square Enix and I make no profit from this story.

Rated M for swearing and sexual themes. I hope you enjoy.

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**Gilded Memories**

The Golden Saucer. A place where you could drink and gamble away to your life's content. You can forget your problems in a world of bright lights and drunken stupors.

Tifa Lockhart knew what happens when a person gets inebriated. Owning the Seventh Heaven bar gave the brunette an idea of what happens when someone's inhibitions are practically non-existent. She mostly saw men come in from Sector 7 and the surrounding areas to drink, chat, even the occasional asshole who thought he was the 'Top dog', but actually was nothing more than a sleaze ball and a pest to any woman in the vicinity.

Strong willed. A fighter. Her parents brought her up to take no crap from anyone. She knew how to hold her own in a fight. If there was a threat to herself, her family or her friends, you knew you messed with the wrong woman. Mainly in a flurry of swift kicks and punches.

As the brunette walked around the area to find anything to occupy her mind for a bit, she could feel most men, and the occasional woman, staring at her. Was it jealousy? Lust? It didn't matter. She just kept walking and paid them no mind. Finding nothing but a liquor store, the brawler found herself perusing the aisles for something to take back to the room she shared with Aries and Yuffie. They were out doing their own thing anyway. After a while she settled on a small bottle of Black Chocobo malt whiskey.

_'I might as well treat myself.' _Tifa thought to herself as her eyes scanned the label. _'Five years? Not bad.'_

An older gentleman kept an eye on the brunette from the moment she walked in his shop. He was a slightly over weight, balding man in an old, stained shirt and pants. A frown was etched across his face. Maybe working in an area known for rowdy crowds takes a toll on a persons mood. As she placed the bottle down on the counter, his eyes were drawn to something else instead of her purchase.

"100 Gil." His gruff voice rung out, almost like a demand.

"100 Gil? That seems a bit extortionate for a small bottle of whiskey surely?" Tifa asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"Well little lady," He leaned forward with a lustful look in his eye. "Maybe we could find a way to...haggle the price down a bit. Hmm?" He smiled a creepy grin.

The brawler inwardly cringed. "Never mind." She slammed the Gil down on the counter and quickly left.

She made her way back to the hotel and entered the shared room. Closing the door behind her, Tifa didn't notice the figure sat by the window in the room.

"Tifa?" A calm, angelic voice rang out in the semi dark room, making the brunette jump and nearly drop her Whiskey.

"Shit! Who's-oh Aries, you scared the crap outta me then."

"I didn't think you would be scared of anything, let alone me in a dark room." The flower girl giggled behind a delicate hand. Seeing the embarrassed look on Tifa's face, she stopped giggling and smiled. "I'm so sorry Tifa, I just don't think I've ever seen you jump that high before."

Tifa couldn't be annoyed with Aries for long. She tucked some hair behind her ear. "I guess it is kinda funny huh?" She smiled at the chestnut-haired woman as she walked over to the window. "Funnier than when I picked this up." She placed the bottle on the table.

A look of concern crossed Aries' features. "Did something happen Tifa?"

"It's ok, nothing happened. Just an overcharging sleaze ball that thinks women will sleep with him if he offers a discount." The brawler shrugged her shoulders. "That's happened way too many times to count." The brunette rested her hip on the table with her eyes closed, trying to rid her mind of the uncomfortable incident.

"I understand how uncomfortable that can be." Aries looked out of the window at the bustling crowds below. "I've had the occasional creepy guy ask me if I provide 'extras."

"That's why us girls have to stick together." The brunette opened her eyes and looked in the direction her companion was sat. She opened the whiskey bottle and took a swig. It gave the brawler a comforting warmth as it made its way down her throat. She offered the chestnut-haired woman the bottle. "Hey Aries, I'm not sure if you like this, but do you want some?"

Delicate hands took the bottle as Aries' eyes glanced over the label. "5 years old? Not an age I tend to go for but it will do." She too took a swig of the amber liquid. "Thank you Tifa, you certainly know your whiskey."

The brunette couldn't believe what she witnessed. Aries, the most innocent member of the group, drank alcohol. Straight from the bottle. Tifa, still in slight shock, sat down in the chair across from her companion. "You…just drank whiskey?"

A small smile graced the flower girls features. "Tifa, I dated a soldier. He got me into whiskey." She giggled at the dumbfounded look on the brunette's face.

The brawler shook herself out of her confusion. "Well, I never would have guessed you'd be a whiskey cognisor." She smirked as the bottle was placed between them. "So, tell me about this soldier."

And so they sat and passed the bottle between them. They talked about their childhoods, about loves that had come and gone growing up. It finally fell on a more sensitive topic. "Tifa? Can I ask something personal?" The chestnut-haired woman looked at the brunette. After a nod, Aries continued. "Have you ever been…intimate with anyone?"

The brawler, even though slightly taken aback, answered the question. "I haven't actually, no. Why do you ask Aries?"

The flower girl shrugged. "I was just curious. I still don't know a lot about you Tifa. You tend to keep to yourself most of the time and, whilst we are alone, I just wanted to find out a bit more about you." Silence filled the room as the two women sat in their seats. "I consider you a friend more than an acquaintance."

"I consider you a friend as well Aries. I didn't know an awful lot about you when we first started this adventure." She looked at the woman sat across from her. "Have you ever..?"

Aries looked out the window. "No, the only one I would have wanted to be with was Zack. He was killed on duty and we were denied that chance." A single tear made its way down her cheek.

Tifa saw this and moved her chair round the table to sit in front of her friend. "I know how much it hurts to lose someone. I know these are only words, but it does get better. I promise you that." The brawler pulled Aries into a hug and held her whilst she cried.

It felt like an eternity that they stayed like this, Tifa holding Aries close, trying her best to comfort her friend. After a while, the chestnut-haired woman pulled back to look at the brunette. Something felt different, the air around them changed. No words were spoken, just emerald eyes staring into red. Tifa moved some hair out of Aries' face. She went to speak but a finger placed on her lips made her remain silent. This finger was replaced by soft lips on the brawlers own.

Their clothing was left abandoned on the floor. Heated flesh exposed to the cool air. Gently lowering her onto the bed, Tifa laid down next to Aries as her fingertips lightly trailed over the other woman's body. This wasn't just sex to them, this was more. This was pure. This was exposing your soul to someone in the most intimate way possible. Both women brought each other to the highest peak, held them there until allowing them to drop into pure ecstasy until they were too worn out to continue. They pulled the covers over them and whispered sweet, comforting words to each other in the darkness as they fell asleep in each other's arms.

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**Three years later**

Tifa lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Not a day went by that she didn't about that night. The way that Aries looked with her hair splayed across the pillow, the way she tasted, the way she called her name in the darkness, the feeling of calm and satisfaction the brawler felt when they fell asleep in each other's arms. It was pure perfection.

Unfortunately, Aries had died by Sephiroth's blade. It was devastating to the entire group, but it hit Tifa more than she let on. Her death had made the brawler more subdued, more cautious. They were able to defeat Sephiroth in the end, but with the loss of a valued member of the group.

'_What would our future hold if Aries lived?'_

'_Would we be together?'_

Questions like this kept her up at night. She daren't mention any of what happened that night to Cloud. What would he think? She rolled over in the bed and looked over at the form lying next to her. Tifa gazed upon Cloud's slumbering face, his features much more relaxed that when he is awake. He was the perfect father and husband, but what would he think?

A sudden cry drew her attention away from her thoughts. She got up and made her way out of the bedroom, following the cries. Gently pushing open the door she walked into the room towards the babies' crib in the centre of the room. A young baby girl was crying out for comfort. The brunette made her way over to the crib and picked the infant up, holding her close.

"It's ok Aerith, I'm here now."


End file.
